Chronicle of Philanthropy: Why Advocacy Matters

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It is difficult to envision a more powerful and gripping time in social justice than the last two weeks of June. Beginning with the horrific shooting of nine churchgoing African-Americans in Charleston, S.C., and ending with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on marriage equality, this nation witnessed historic leaps in the arc of social change and social justice. Matters of race, sexual orientation, health, housing, and dignity for immigrants all took a forward step in a matter of days.

The tragic deaths at Emmanuel A.M.E. Church led to powerful images of Confederate battle flags being lowered and tucked away across some southern states. The fate of Obamacare, designed to bring some measure of health equity for millions of uninsured Americans, was rescued by the Supreme Court from yet another politically motivated torpedo. The same day the court issued a ruling that will help fight discrimination in housing. A day later came the social-change coup de grâce as the Court declared lesbians, gay, and transgendered people have the right to marry in every state.

Buried among the headline-grabbing justice events was another landmark:
Jerry Brown, California’s governor, signed legislation that provides children of undocumented immigrants access to affordable health coverage –. the first state in the nation to recognize that such people deserve the same dignity given to American citizens.

Wow.

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